Limited Edition
by zombie kait
Summary: Mimi the popular girl at school makes a bet with her best friend Sora that she can take the punk outcast Yamato and make him Mr. Popular in time for the prom. Can she pull it off or will she fall for this lone wolf?
1. Bet

Mimi Tachikawa was the most beautiful, and popular girl attending Riverside High School in New York City, New York. Being born to wealth and used to having her way, she was a spoiled princess that knew nothing about pain or loss. On the outside she was a sweet care-free girl, but she could be very shallow at times. She dated jocks and took pleasure in making fun of those who were, as she said it, 'below' her. Yet, why did everyone adore her? Ah yes…it was because she was beautiful and everyone desired her.

Honey brown hair, large milk chocolate eyes, soft round strawberry sweet lips, and a body to die for. She could wear anything and look good in it. The girls were envious of her, and the guys all wanted to date her. Yup, she was the one girl that everyone loved. Everyone wanted to be her friend, and everyone wanted to have her at least say their name once. She spent most of her time with her best friend Sora. Sora was quite beautiful herself, yet whenever Mimi was around, she seemed quite plain in comparison.

Then, there was him. Him you ask? Yamato Ishida. The punk outcast, with only two friends, Taichi Kamiya and Ken Ichijougi. He came from wealth, yet didn't dress like it. He always wore baggy black pants that seemed five sizes too big, and usually wore black shirts also. Silver chains covered his neck, along with black leather silver spike collars. Both ears pierced four times, and a safety pin used as an eyebrow ring, he didn't come off as the nicest looking guy. Black leather bracelets covered his wrists, along with a few chains. Black leather boots finished off his punk outfit.

Now that you know that these two people are total opposites, I guess it's about time to learn of their fate, right? It all started one sunny day during lunch as Mimi and her friend Sora sat outside underneath a tree watching the people pass by, as they ate their lunch.

"Ew! Look at that loser trying to hit on poor Hikari." Mimi laughed as she watched a guy try to ask Hikari out.

"Ohh! Here comes Takeru!" Sora giggled as she watched Takeru and Davis walk up next to Hikari. Mimi and Sora cried with laughter as they watched Takeru scare the poor boy off. "What a loser! Thinking he could get with Hikari." After a few minutes of laughing, the two managed to compose themselves.

"Wait. Who's that with the boy? Is that Yamato?" Mimi squinted slightly as she saw Yamato and the boy from earlier walk over to where Takeru and his gang were.

"I smell a fight!" Sora and Mimi got up and quickly walked over, yet slow enough so as not to look to be in a hurry. The wind picked up slightly and Mimi flipped her hair over her shoulders, causing guys to sigh in happiness. As they got closer, they were able to hear what was going on.

"Apologize to him, Takeru." Yamato spoke quietly, his voice as cold as ice. Takeru glared at his older brother Yamato, with hate in his eyes.

"Hell no! That loser was bothering Hikari." Takeru spat, his eyes flashing. Yamato was one of those types of people who could remain cool and calm no matter what. It was a bit irritating in a way, yet it was also attractive. Yamato took a step closer to Takeru, causing his younger brother to grow slightly nervous.

"I said apologize to him." Yamato slightly glared at his younger brother, annoyed that he was being so stubborn over a simple apology.

"Is there a problem here?" Mimi said, being a bit annoyed that no one had noticed her arrive. Yamato didn't even glance at her. Who did she think she was now? A fucking teacher? He ignored her as he took another step closer to his brother.

"That loser over there was bothering Hikari." Davis said, as his arm wrapped around Sora's waist, causing her to giggle.

"Yeah, and now Yamato wants me to apologize to that freak." Takeru said, finally turning to avert his brother's gaze.

"And what do you have to say, Yamato?" Mimi asked, turning to look at him. He didn't say anything. "Well?" She was starting to grow impatient.

"I think that you should mind your own business." With that, Yamato turned and left with the boy. Mimi's cheeks grew slightly warm as she watched the two leave. The nerve of that boy! How dare he speak to her like that!

"What a jerk!" Mimi turned on her heel and left, heading towards the student parking lot.

"Hey Mimi, wait up!" Sora called as she walked after her.

"Can you believe that guy? Acting as if he's so damn cool!" Mimi fumbled with the keys to her car before finally opening it, and sliding in. Sora got into the passenger side of the car and barely had time to close the door before Mimi backed the car up.

"So Mimi, who are you going to the prom with?" Sora clutched the dashboard, hoping that the question would make Mimi slow down.

"Actually, I'm not sure yet." Mimi blinked, a bit surprised herself.

"I have an idea." Sora smirked; it was one of her best ideas yet.

"And that is?" Mimi had finally slowed down.

"Why don't you fix Yamato up and take him?" Sora nearly had a heart attack as Mimi slammed on the breaks, throwing her forward.

"WHAT!" Mimi yelled, turning to stare at Sora.

"Well, he is somewhat handsome, and besides, you could fix him up and make him look gorgeous. Then you'd have a date for the prom."

"Why don't YOU do that?" Mimi glared daggers at Sora.

"Because I'm going with Daisuke!" Sora smiled as little hearts appeared in her eyes.

"No way! I'm not doing this!" People behind Mimi honked, and she mumbled to herself before she took off again.

"What? Are you scared?" The smirk on Sora's face grew bigger. Mimi never backed down from anything.

"Of course not!" Mimi took a sharp corner, causing Sora to slide in her seat.

"Good, it's a bet then. Let's say two hundred dollars, ok? I say that you can't pull it off, and you say that you can. Deal?" Sora knew that even Mimi wouldn't be able to help him.

"Deal."


	2. Soccer

"What have I done?" Mimi groaned as her head hit the locker she was standing in front of. "Trying to make him prom material? That's like asking a wolf to be tame!"

"Meems!" Sora waved to her friend as her and Daisuke walked through the hall towards her locker. Groaning again, she opened her locker and pulled out a few books.

"I heard about the bet Meems. I think you should just pay Sora now, and save yourself the humiliation of having to talk to that loser." Daisuke said while high-fiving a passing member of the soccer team. Slamming closed her locker, Mimi spun to face him.

"So you don't think I can do it?" She said, glaring at him, obviously annoyed.

"Meems, you can take the wolf out of a forest, but not the forest out of the wolf." Sora leaned against a locker while searching through her bag for something.

"What? I can so do this! You guys have no confidence in me at all!" Mimi turned on her heel and left the two of them behind. Getting into class, she took her seat next to Hikari and groaned yet again at seeing Yamato enter the class.

"Something wrong Meems?" Hikari stopped writing her letter to Takeru, and turned to face her friend.

"Sora and Daisuke think that I can't make Yamato prom material." Mimi mumbled while pulling out a notebook and pen from her bag.

"But it's true Meems, Yamato is like...you know." Hikari glanced at Yamato who was sitting in-between Tai and Ken.

"Hey! Your brother and him are obviously friends, right?" Mimi sat up suddenly at getting an idea. Before Hikari could answer, Mimi went on. "Well you can tell me what Yamato is into! Also, I'll need his phone number." Hikari paled at the idea of having to enter her brother's bedroom.

"B-But.."

"Hikari, please?" Mimi pouted slightly, hoping her friend would help her out.

"Fine, but you owe me." Hikari scowled as she went back to writing her letter to Takeru.

Math class slowly dragged on, but when the bell finally rang, Mimi was actually happy that her next class was p.e.

**xoxoxoxox**

P.e. was one of those classes that no one enjoyed going to, least of all Mimi. "So what are we doing today?" Mimi asked Daisuke as he came out of the locker room.

"Soccer!" Daisuke grinned like a fool just at the idea of getting to play soccer. As the class was divided into two teams, Mimi groaned loudly as she was forced to be the goalie. Lucky for her, Daisuke was on her team and not Ken and Tai. As their teacher blew the whistle, the game began.

Daisuke had the ball first, and managed to get to the other teams goal, before Ken came out of nowhere. Sliding on the grass, Ken kicked the ball to Tai, who yelled for someone to take his place as he sped down the field. During that whole time, Mimi had been standing in front of the goal, wondering when the class would be over.

"Meems, look out!" Hearing Daisuke's voice, Mimi looked up and managed to jump out of the way just in time as a soccer ball flew into the net.

Picking herself up off the ground, Mimi glared at the person who kicked the ball, Tai. "You could have hit me!" Mimi continued to glare at him, yet her glare didn't faze him at all. "You big oaf!" Getting the ball out of the net, she threw it in Daisuke's direction.

Daisuke, upon getting the ball, turned and ran down the field with Tai right next to him. Daisuke kicked the ball to the goal, hoping to get it in, and stopped dead in his tracks at what happened next. The goalie kicked the ball to Ken, who did a bicycle kick, sending the ball over Daisuke's head to Tai. Tai took off once again, but this time with an angry Daisuke on his heels.

Mimi was prepared this time though. As Tai got closer, Mimi gathered up all of her courage and charged towards him, this of course surprised Tai. In a matter of seconds, the two of them were on the ground, and Mimi was moaning in pain.

"Since both of you seem to be injured, the two of you may be excused to go see the nurse." The teacher said, after glancing at the pair. Daisuke offered to help Mimi there, but their p.e. teacher wouldn't let him. "They can help each other if they're so badly hurt. Now get back in there!" And so, the two of them left, with Tai supporting Mimi. As they reached the nurse's office, Mimi's eyes widened as she saw the last person she ever expected to see there. "Yamato."

**xoxoxoxox**

Matt heard his name and looked up to see Tai supporting Mimi in the doorway. Raising a brow, he looked the two over, before shaking his head. "Soccer?" His voice was calm and he helped Tai and Mimi to separate chairs to sit on.

"Yeah." Tai nodded to him, and glanced at Mimi, who was looking around quickly.

"W-Where's the nurse?" Mimi asked suddenly, wishing that someone normal would be in there with her, instead of those two.

"Gone." Was all Matt said, he bent down in front of Tai and began to apply some ointment to a cut he got on his leg.

"Gone? What do you mean?" Mimi eyed the two of them suspiciously as if they would suddenly attack her or something. "She's always here!" She slowly inched her chair backwards away from them. Matt watched her the whole time from the corner of his eye.

"That's what I said." Handing Tai some a bandage, he went over to Mimi, who nearly fell out of her chair trying to get away from him. "Hold still." Taking out some rubbing alcohol, he put some on a bit of cloth before putting it on her knee.

"Ouch!" Mimi's knee jerked back away from him, causing him to frown slightly. "That hurt!" Mimi's eyes were watering slightly and she was blowing on her knee to stop the stinging.

"I told you to hold still." With one hand, he brought her knee back down and left his hand there to keep her from moving her leg. When he finished with that, he wrapped a bandage around it, since she had scrapped part of the skin off her knee. Making sure it was secure, he got up and walked back over to Tai.

"What time's band practice?" Tai got up and threw away the bandage wrapper while Matt filled out a form.

"Eight thirty at my house." Matt said, not even bothering to look up. "Izzy and Ken will be coming after they finish a project for science class." Tai nodded to his friend before leaving.

"Er..thank you." Mimi stood up, knowing that the dreaded moment came; she had to talk to Matt, alone.

"Hn." Matt placed the form back on the counter top and grabbed his bag as the bell rang. Before Mimi could say anything else, the kind old nurse came in, slightly flushed.

"Thank you Mr. Ishida, hopefully it wasn't too busy while I was away." She patted Matt's cheek in a motherly way before he nodded to her and left.

"Ah!" Mimi quickly went out after him. "Yamato?" Mimi walked a bit behind him, hoping that no one would see them together. "Um..you see I was wondering if you wanted to go the movies with me tomorrow night."

"No." Matt turned a corner, causing Mimi to quicken her pace to keep up with him.

"No as in you're busy or no as in you don't want to?" Mimi was finally walking next to him, and jumped in surprise as he turned to face her.

"No as in no I don't want to. I have to go." And with that, Matt left her standing in the hallway.

"Jerk!" Mimi stuck out her tongue before turning on her heel and leaving. "The nerve of him! He should be grateful that I even spoke to him at all!" Getting back to the gym and into the locker room, she changed quickly before leaving for lunch. Mimi went outside and sat down under her favorite cherry tree.

"Hey Meems! How are ya? Daisuke told me about what happened in p.e." Sora waved to her, as her Daisuke, Hikari and Takeru came over and sat down next to her.

"My leg's a bit sore, but otherwise I'm fine." Mimi smiled as she opened her lunch and began eating. "Guess who was in the nurse's office?"

"Who?" Takeru looked up at her, before taking a bite of sushi.

"Yamato! He was there because the nurse wasn't there at all. I tried to ask him out to a movie so I could get to know him, but he totally blew me off! Anyways, he's having a band practice at your house tonight, right Takeru?" Mimi ate some of her sushi while Takeru was thinking.

"Yeah, at eight. Why?" Takeru blinked a bit, having a feeling that she was up to something.

"Really? Good! I'm coming over then. Hikari will come too because her brother will be there. Do you two want to come?" Mimi eyed Daisuke and Sora who were cuddling together.

"Ah no, we're going to the mall before we catch a movie." Daisuke said before feeding Sora a rice ball.

"Fine, be that way." Mimi shook her head at the two of them before turning back to Hikari and Takeru. "I'll come over at seven so as not to make it seem as if I'm there to talk to him, ok?"

"But I thought you were there to talk to him?" Hikari asked, not really understanding her complex friend.

"I do! You see, when his friends finally leave, you two can go off and I can be there to talk to him. Brilliant plan, huh?" Mimi smiled happily, not even noticing the looks Takeru and Hikari were giving her.


	3. Pizza

_song_

**xoxoxoxox**

Mimi rang the doorbell and waited patiently for someone to answer. The door opened and Matt stood there, looking as if he had just woken up. He was wearing black baggy pants with a few chains hanging from it here and there, and a black button up shirt with white and black shoes. His blonde hair was spiked like usual, except for a piece that kept falling in front of his dark blue eyes. For some reason, she had the urge to brush the hair out of his face.

"What do you want?" He asked in a quiet voice, causing a sudden chill to run down her spine. As their eyes met, her heart began to race and she suddenly felt very shy.

"Ah..Takeru invited me." She said, finally tearing her eyes away from his. He nodded and opened the door.

"T.k.! Mimi's here." As she entered the house, he closed the door behind her before heading off down the hallway. Mimi followed him and entered the living room where Hikari and Takeru were sitting on one couch watching tv, and Ken, Tai, and another boy were sitting on a different couch also watching tv.

"Hey Meems." Hikari and Takeru said at the same time. Mimi plopped down on the couch next in between Hikari and Takeru, and watched the other guys leave.

"Change of plans!" Mimi announced as soon as the last of the guys left the room.

"What?" Hikari asked as she turned to face her friend.

"Where do your brother and his friends practice?" Mimi asked ignoring Hikari for the moment as she turned to face Takeru.

"In the basement, why?" He asked as he turned off the t.v.

"Good! Since he didn't accept my offer of going on a date, then I have to find out what he likes so he can ask me! Therefore we need to go in his room and see what he likes!" Mimi announced smiling happily at her new plan.

"And how did you think up such a great plan as that?" Hikari asked sarcastically.

"I was watching 10 Things I Hate About You before I came over." Mimi replied. Shaking his head, Takeru got up off the couch and began to lead the two girls upstairs to his brother's room.

"If we get caught, we're all dead." He whispered as he slowly opened the bedroom door. The walls and ceiling were painted black and were covered in posters, sketches, lyrics, and other things. In one corner was his bed, across from that was a dresser with a mirror, and next to that was a closet. Diagonal of the bed was a t.v. that sat on a small dresser in front of a couch. Takeru turned on the lights, which turned out to be strings of different colored lights that ran all over the room, not really lighting the whole room up all the way.

"He sure is morbid." Mimi muttered as she went over to his dresser. Piles upon piles of papers were on top and she looked at them while the other two looked around for something that would aid their cause. Minutes passed and it seemed as if they were getting pretty much nowhere.

"Guys! I think he's coming!" Hikari had been standing watch at the door to make sure no one was coming upstairs. As they finally heard the steps, they knew it was too late to leave.

"Under the bed!" Takeru hissed and the three of them dove under the bed just before the door opened. The four guys entered, Matt in the lead. Mimi was surprised to find nothing under the bed; she of course had stuffed animals along with some books and other things.

"That last song was pretty good." The boy with brown hair said as he sat down on the arm of the couch.

"You're right Izzy. If we practice it a bit more, then we'll play it at the prom." Ken said as he leaned against the wall near the door.

"So Matt, who are you taking to the prom?" Tai smiled as he nudged his friend who just scowled.

"The prom is a waste of time and I'm only going because they're paying us to play there." Matt sat down on the bed and Mimi scooted over to where Takeru and Hikari were, trying not to be sat on.

"I thought you were going to ask-" Tai was cut off by the doorbell ringing. "Must be the pizza! I'm starved!" Tai and Matt left to get the pizza, leaving Ken and the brown haired boy. Dust began to tickle Mimi's nose and she bit her lip as she tried not to sneeze.

"You guys better come and get some pizza before T.k. and his friends eat it all." Matt's voice drifted down the hallway, and the two boys left to get their pizza. Takeru was muttering under his breath as the three of them climbed out from under the bed.

"We don't eat all that much." Hikari was dusting herself off. Footsteps could be heard as the boys came back down the hall.

"Not again!" Mimi groaned as the three this time went inside the small closet, all squishing together.

"Where are those three? I haven't seen them since Mimi got here." Tai said as sat down on a beanbag chair in front of the closet.

"Who knows." Matt turned on his stereo before sitting down on his bed. Izzy and Ken sat down on the couch and turned on the t.v. Mimi suddenly sneezed, causing Tai to jump.

"Did you hear that?" He asked as he looked around for what had caused the noise. Hikari groaned softly and slapped her forehead. Takeru managed to glare at Mimi while at the same time look scared.

"What was it?" Izzy asked as he looked over his shoulder at Tai.

"Sounded like someone sneezing." Tai said as he turned to look at the closet. Mimi tried to take a step back, but ended up slipping and falling forward, only to be caught by Hikari. Matt got up from where he was sitting and went over to the closet, opening the door. All three teenagers tumbled out, causing Tai to jump out of the way, saving his pizza. Four pairs of eyes stared at the three teenagers lying on the floor.

"Ow..." Mimi laid on top of Hikari with her butt stuck up in the air. Hikari had Mimi laying on her upper body, while her legs were stretched over Takeru.

"Hikari?" Tai looked at his younger sister slightly surprised to see her there.

"T.k." Matt frowned at his younger brother before turning to look at Mimi.

"What are you guys doing?" Ken asked as both he and Izzy turned to look at the three. Mimi sat up rubbing her sore head.

"Ah...we were playing hide and seek." She laughed nervously as the others looked at her strangely.

"Y-Yeah! Hide and seek and well the pizza came and Mimi tripped and uh.." Hikari trailed off as Tai glared at her.

"Well pizza's here so um yeah! See you guys later!" Takeru grabbed the two girls' arms and dragged them out of the room as fast as he could. As the door closed behind them, they fell down to the floor, relieved that they made it out of the room alive. They slowly got up, still slightly sore from the fall, when the door opened and Tai's head popped out, surprising Mimi who tripped as she jumped backwards. Mimi crashed into Hikari who crashed into Takeru, and all three of them screamed as they tumbled down the stairs.

"Ah...Matt wants you to stay out of his room." Tai sweat dropped as he looked at the three of them lying at the bottom of the stairs.

"I am not having fun!" Hikari whined as they picked themselves up from the ground.

"Mimi, leave us out of your plan, you're on your own." Takeru growled as the three headed off to get their pizza.

"How was I supposed to know we'd get caught?" Mimi took a bite of her pepperoni pizza as she hopped up onto the counter top.

"You were supposed to have a plan!" Takeru glared at her as he poured himself some soda.

"I did!" Mimi shot back.

"Hide and seek?" Hikari asked, raising a brow.

"I'd like to have seen you think of something better!" Mimi flushed slightly at having said that as an excuse. The three ate the rest of their dinner in silence. Mimi plopped down on one of the couches and began to think of a way to ask out Matt, yet again.

**Two hours later**

"That's it! I'm just going to go ask him!" Mimi sat up, determination written on her face.

"They're downstairs." Takeru pointed to a door down the hallway, and Mimi jumped up, heading towards it. Opening the door, music drifted up to where she was standing. The light bulbs in the basement had been replaced with black lights, and that made it hard for Mimi to find her way down the stairs. She was about to say something, when she recognized a familiar voice.

_I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,_

_You could cut ties with all the lies, that you've been living in,_

_And if you do not want to see me again, I would understand._

_I would understand,_

_The angry boy, a bit too insane,_

_Icing over a secret pain,_

_You know you don't belong,_

_You're the first to fight, You're way too loud,_

_You're the flash of light, On a burial shroud,_

_I know something's wrong,_

_Well everyone I know has got a reason, To say, put the past away,_

_I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,_

_You could cut ties with all the lies, That you've been living in,_

_And if you do not want to see me again, I would understand,_

_I would understand._

_Well he's on the table, And he's gone to code,_

_And I do not think anyone knows,_

_What they are doing here,_

_And your friends have left, You've been dismissed,_

_I never thought it would come to this, And I, I want you to know,_

_Everyone's got to face down the demons,_

_Maybe today, We can put the past away,_

_I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,_

_You could cut ties with all the lies, that you've been living in,_

_And if you do not want to see me again, I would understand,_

_I would understand,_

_I would understand..._

_Can you put the past away, I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,_

_I would understand..._

Mimi had been hypnotized by the song and hadn't even realized that she had moved at all. She blinked in surprise at finding herself at the bottom of the stairs. The four guys were looking at her, and she blushed a bright red, thankful that it was dark down here. Matt had an amazing voice and the song was just...perfect. Tai coughed and she jumped slightly at remembering where she was.

"Is there something that you need?" Matt was letting the guitar hang on its strap, and had both hands shoved in his pockets. Titling his head slightly caused part of his hair to drop down and cover one of his dark blue eyes.

"Yes! I want you to come with me to the movies tomorrow night." Mimi put on a determined face as she looked at him, and arms crossed over her chest. For some reason, she really wanted him to say yes.


	4. Riding in cars with boys

"Is there something that you need?" Matt was letting the guitar hang on its strap, and had both hands in his pockets. Some of his hair was hanging down and covering one of his eyes.

"Yes! I want you to come with me to the movies tomorrow night." Mimi put on a determined face as she looked at him, arms crossed over her chest. For some reason, she really wanted him to say yes.

"No." The force of the word struck her hard and she took a step back as if slapped. Trying to remain calm, she took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure.

"Why not?" She demanded, forcing herself to stare into those ice blue eyes.

"I don't want to waste my time." He growled as he stared at her through the golden locks that were hanging in front of his eyes.

"Wasting your time!" Mimi exclaimed a bit louder then she intended to. Matt just stood there staring at her, which annoyed her. She opened her mouth to say more, but before she could say anything, Tai stepped forward, his eyes locked on her.

"He said no, now get out of here Princess." Glaring at the two of them, Mimi turned and left, slamming the door at the top.

"Just out of curiosity, why did you say no to her?" Tai asked as he picked up his guitar.

"Why did you date Sora in junior high?" Matt asked, arching a brow at his friend.

**xoxoxox**

"Your brother is the biggest jerk ever!" Mimi said as she stomped over to the front door.

"What'd he do?" Takeru asked as he and Hikari got off the couch and followed their friend to the door.

"I asked him out to the movies, again, and he rejected me!" Mimi opened the front door and stood there facing the two.

"So I take it your plan failed?" Hikari asked.

"Well...my plan sorta was changed...a lot. But I do have a new one! See ya later!" Smiling happily at having come up with a new plan, she left.

**Saturday**

"What about this dress?" Sora asked as she picked up a pale yellow one.

"No." Mimi replied as she picked up a red one.

"No." Sora frowned as she picked up an orange one.

"No. I hate orange." Mimi had picked up a blue one, but Sora shook her head as she picked up a green one.

"No."

"No."

"What about pink?"

"I always wear pink."

"So?"

"So..."

"This is cute."

"But it's pink!"

"You can borrow my brown shoes."

"...Fine."

Sora and Mimi left the store after spending three hours in it trying to find a dress.

"You got a date tonight or something?" Sora asked as they walked into an ice cream shop.

"Yup!" Mimi smiled as she looked at the different types of ice cream.

"Really? With who?" Sora asked before ordering her usual mint chocolate chip ice cream.

"Someone cute." Mimi grinned as she ordered strawberry ice cream.

"Who?" Sora repeated as she paid for the ice cream.

"With Michael."

"Finally! I was starting to wonder when you'd ask him out."

"Yeah…I asked him out last night. We should hurry, my date's in an hour." Mimi said a she glanced down at her watch.

"You can get ready at my house."

"Thanks Sora."

**An hour later**

"Where are you meeting him?" Sora asked as she and Mimi walked downstairs.

"Actually, I was going to um go to Hikari's house to borrow some pink ribbons for my hair." Mimi smiled.

"Need a lift?" Sora grabbed her coat and keys off the table.

"Yeah, thanks." Mimi closed the door behind herself and waited for Sora to lock it.

"No prob." Sora unlocked the car doors and sat down behind the wheel. Turning on the engine, Sora pulled out of the driveway and turned down the street in the direction of Hikari's house. "Are you going to have Michael meet you at her house?"

"Yeah, he said it wouldn't be a problem." The ride wasn't long because Hikari only lived a few miles away from Sora's house. Getting out of the car, Mimi smiled and waved to Sora. "Thanks!" Turning she walked across the grass and knocked on the front door. To her displeasure, Tai answered the door.

"What?" He stood there wearing a pair of baggy shorts, a gray t-shirt and black sneakers.

"Is Hikari here?" Mimi asked, praying that her friend was.

"No, she went out with Takeru." Tai started to close the door, but Mimi stopped him. "What the-"

"Will you please give me a ride to a friends house?" Mimi asked, hoping that his heart wasn't made of ice.

"Why didn't you ask Sora?" He leaned against the door with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Because. Now will you? Yes or no." Mimi crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at him.

"No." He closed the door in Mimi's face causing her to turn red with anger. Pounding on the door with her fist, it opened a second later. "What?"

"Give me a ride!" She demanded, taking a step inside the house.

"No." He pushed her outside and closed the door again, but she pounded on it even harder and the door opened again.

"I need a ride!"

"So?"

"I NEED A RIDE!"

"Your point?"

"I won't leave you alone until you give me a ride!"

"Thirty."

"What?"

"I'll give you a ride for thirty dollars."

"What do you think I am? Made of money! You're a pig Taichi!" The door slammed closed once again. Mimi pounded on it with both of her fists. Tai leaned against the door and just listened to her pound away. "Come on Taichi! I really need a ride! Please?" There was a silence for a few seconds and he could hear her purse open. "Fine! I'll give you thirty dollars." Tai opened the door and Mimi grabbed his shirt and pulled him outside.

"Let go!" He growled trying to pry her hand off of his shirt.

"You're giving me a ride so let's go NOW!"

"What about my money?" Tai was pretty much dragged to his car without a chance to get away.

"I'll give it to you when we get there. Come ON!" Pulling his car keys out of his pocket, he got in the car and reluctantly turned on the engine.

"Where am I driving you?" He asked as he drove down the driveway.

"Go right."

"Where am I taking you?" He repeated growing annoyed.

"Left."

"Where?"

"You'll see. Go straight then turn left at the light."

"Wh-" Tai stopped in front of a familiar house, a bit surprised to find himself there with Mimi.

"Thanks Taichi!" Dropping the money in his lap, she got out of the car and crossed the grass and went up onto the porch. Turning around to check her makeup, she was surprised to find Taichi still sitting there in his car. "Don't you have something better to do? Go!" After watching Tai leave, she opened her mirror and smiled at herself before closing it and turning around. Knocking on the door, she waited patiently for someone to answer.

"What do you want?" Matt growled as he looked down at her smiling face.

"Don't you remember? We're going out to the movies tonight!"


	5. Who needs enemies when you have friends?

"So what do you wanna see?" Mimi asked as she looked at the sign which listed all the different movies playing.

"Whatever." Matt was wishing he could be anywhere but there with her, yet she had told him earlier 'If you don't come with me now, then I'll come back everyday until you do.' All he wanted was some peace and quiet, and it seemed that he'd be getting anything but that.

"Ohh! Let's go see Finding Nemo!" Grabbing his hand, she pulled him up to the counter. "Two for Finding Nemo, please." Looking at Matt, he just looked back at her, until she elbowed him in the ribs. Groaning, he took out some money and handed it to the woman. Picking up the tickets, Mimi smiled at the woman before heading towards the snack line.

"Do you think I'm made of money or something?" Matt asked as they stood in line.

"Or something." Mimi smiled at him before looking around, wishing the line would hurry up. Looking over his shoulder, she noticed two familiar people; Sora and Daisuke. The two looked in her direction, and before she knew what she was doing, she pulled Matt down and kissed him.

It was meant to only be a brief kiss, so that the two wouldn't see her and Matt, yet Matt had other things in mind. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her up against himself and parted her lips with his tongue. Before Mimi could even protest what was going on, he had let go of her.

"Don't use me." He growled before moving up to the counter. Mimi's face turned red from both anger and embarrassment, but she quickly calmed herself down as she ordered a soda.

During the whole movie, Mimi couldn't think of anything but the kiss, which still annoyed her. 'How dare he do that to me! I was only trying to...to use him so Sora and Daisuke wouldn't see us.' Frowning, she chewed on the straw, trying to figure out why she suddenly felt bad about kissing him.

When the movie ended, Mimi and Matt headed back to his car. As they got in, Mimi pushed aside her previous thoughts, and tried to concentrate on the present.

"Hey Matt, can we go to the park?" She asked, causing him to arch a brow and look at her.

"What for?"

"Because."

"Because?"

"Yes."

"..."

"What?"

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because isn't an answer.

"Well um..."

Matt smirked.

"Stop that."

"What?"

"Smirking."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because?"

"Because."

"We're going in circles."

"No we're not."

"I meant our talking."

"Oh."

Mimi blushed.

"Well are you going to tell me?"

"Are you going to take me there?"

"We're already here."

Mimi blushed again, but this time in anger. He enjoyed making her look like a fool. Instead of saying a retort, she got out of the car and looked at the park. It wasn't the biggest park, but she didn't seem to mind. Walking towards the swings, she stopped and turned to see Matt leaning against the car, just watching her.

"Come here." She called to him as she sat down on the swing. Grunting, he got up and walked over to where she was.

"What?" He asked as he sat down on the swing next to her.

"I'm sorry." Mimi mumbled as she looked down at her shoes. "About the kiss that is. It's just that..." She trailed off, not really wanting to finish her sentence.

"That you didn't want Sora and Daisuke to see you." Matt finished, causing her to look up at him.

"Yeah. Sorry." The wind picked up and the sky darkened, threatening to rain.

"Don't worry about it." Matt said after awhile. The swing Mimi was sitting on was pulled back, before being released. Looking behind her, she found Matt standing there. Smiling, she turned to look back in front of her.

"So...why do you dress the way you do? You're rich and all, so why don't you dress like it?"

Backward. Forward. Backward. Forward. Backward.

"Suits my personality I guess. Besides, just because I have money doesn't mean I have to rub it in other people's noses."

Forward.

"I don't do that!"

Backward.

"Yes you do. You talk badly about people, and you make fun of others just to feel better about yourself. You're a snobby spoiled brat."

Forward.

"..."

Backward. Forward. Backward. Forward.

"Well you act like you're cool and stuff and well...you're not!"

Backward.

"I don't act like anything. I am who I am."

Forward.

"Mimi? Is that you?" Sora asked as she and Daisuke stopped at the entrance to the park.

"Is that Matt?" Daisuke laughed. Digging her feet into the ground, she stopped herself and looked at her two friends surprised.

"What are you guys doing here?" She stood up and looked at the two, surprise evident on her face.

"What are we doing here? What are you doing here, and more importantly, with him." Daisuke shot back.

"Yeah, I thought you were going out with Michael. I never expected to see you spending time with him." Sora laughed at the idea.

"Why don't you come and do something fun with us, instead of hanging out with trash like him." Daisuke offered while glaring at Matt.

"Come on Mimi, let's go." Matt said quietly from behind her. Nodding, the two teens left for his car.

"Don't forget about the you-know-what!" Sora called after the two.

"I'll take you home." Starting the engine, the car took off down the street. Rain began to fall in big drops as Mimi stared out the window. When the car finally stopped in front of her house, she sighed and got out of the car.

"Um..." Sighing again, she just gave him a small smile and a wave before heading into her house.


	6. Advice from an old friend

Mimi flung herself onto her bed, and gazed at the pink painted ceiling. What was wrong with her? Was she starting to have feelings for him? Ugh! No way! Of course not! Never! They were too different. It wasn't that at all. Nope. Not at all. She just didn't like people laughing at her, that's all. Yup, that was it.

Rolling over, she grabbed a pillow and buried her face into it. She needed to talk to someone. Anyone. Ok, so not just anyone. It couldn't be a complete stranger. But it couldn't be Sora or Hikari. It had to be someone who fell in-between. But who would that be?

Reaching down, she picked up the fuzzy pink phone she had, and began to dial a number which she hadn't dialed in years. 'Oh God, I hope he still lives there. Hell, I hope he still remembers me.' The wait was killing her, and when someone finally picked up, she thought her heart would pound right out of her chest.

"Minamoto residence."

"Is Kouji there?"

"Yeah, hold on a minute."

Any second now, her heart was going to explode.

"Hello?"

Click.

"Oh my God! I didn't just do that! No no no noo!" Slamming the phone onto the ground, she felt her cheeks burn as she buried her face back into her pillow. How could she do that? To him of all people! Oh God! She didn't do it! It had been years since she talked to him, and she just pranked called him! What would he think of her? What should she do?

Her phone began to ring.

Oh God, this wasn't happening. No no no! Never! This wasn't happening!

Reaching down with a shaky hand, she grabbed the phone and picked it up. Trying as quickly as she could to calm herself, she took a deep breath, before finally speaking.

"Hello?"

"Hey Meems, how's it going?" Came Sora's voice from over the phone.

Sora.

Not him.

Sora.

"Meems?"

"Oh yeah, hi, sorry. I was just spacing out." Mimi laughed as she rolled over onto her back and stared up at the pink ceiling once more.

"How was it? Hanging with Ishida all day must have been awful!" Sora laughed in her usual annoying way. "Anyways, I heard from Hikari that there's going to be a college party tonight being held at Tsunami's. You gonna come? It'll give you another chance to spend time with Ishida." More laughter.

She had to say something. Something that would shut Sora up. And keep her from laughing again.

"Maybe, I dunno. I DID spend all day with him. He might actually think I like him or something if I ask him to the party." There. A lie. That was good. And believable, right? Mimi held her breath as she waited for Sora to reply.

"I totally understand. Hey, if you're not gonna bring someone, I'm sure that Daisuke can hook you up with one of his soccer friends."

"Yeah, whatever. When's the party start? I wanna see if I'll have time to buy a new outfit." Shopping. That'd help clear her mind.

"It starts at nine, and don't be late!"

"Yeah yeah, bye."

"See ya!"

Getting up, she grabbed a purse from off the floor and headed out the door. Going down the stairs, she grabbed her keys from off a table near the door, and headed outside. It was still raining. She had no coat.

"Just great." Wrapping her arms around herself, she headed out into the rain, not bothering to go back in and grab a coat.

When her feet hit the pavement, it would make a soft thud. When she took a deep breath and exhaled, steam appeared in front of her. When she moved a piece of hair out of her eyes, the water would become absorbed into her already wet skin. When she sighed, her shoulders would slump, and a vacant look would appear in her eyes.

She reached the edge of her driveway and scowled. The closest mall was fifteen miles away. Fifteen miles. There was no way in hell she'd walk that whole way by herself when it's pouring rain. But, she did need some time to sort through her thoughts.

Touching her purse, she felt her cellphone inside. She could always call someone when she got tired. Or when she was ready to talk. Or when she was hungry. She could always give them puppy dog eyes and make them feel guilty if the didn't want to get her anything.

Smiling, she wrapped her arms around herself once again, and headed down the street.

Mimi's smile was long gone, and so was the feeling of warmth. She was only five blocks from her house, and already she was soaked to the bone. Why the hell did she think of walking to the damn mall? Was she insane or something! Growling, she stomped through a puddle, splashing water and dirt on her legs. She might have not been so mad about being soaked to the bone, as long as her socks were dry. But were her socks dry? Nope, not even close! In fact, they were the first thing to become soaked!

"Stupid socks." Getting ready to cross the street, she paused as she saw the mother of all puddles right in the middle of the road. Staring at it, she contemplated her options. She could, just avoid it, or just walk through it, or, the idea that seemed most appealing to her, she could run and jump in it, and splash around. Looking around, she made sure that no one was around. The last thing she'd need is to make a fool of herself in front of someone.

A small grin appeared on her lips, before blossoming into a smile. Running off the sidewalk, she jumped right before she got to the puddle, and came down in the middle of it, causing water to splash everywhere. Laughing out loud, she splashed around in the puddle, and twirled about, seeming to forget that anyone could just come along and see her. And that, is exactly what happened.

The engine of a car snapped Mimi back to reality, and she turned slowly to see a car stopped just a few feet behind her. If that wasn't bad enough, she recognized who the person inside the car was. Michael. Quickly getting out of the puddle, she continued on her way down the street, but this time at a brisk walk. 'Please don't recognize me. Please keep on driving. Please don't stop. Please God, help me!' Mimi silently prayed as she tried to keep from running down the street and getting away from the egotistical blonde.

It seemed, as if God wanted to make her suffer. Why? Who knows; least of all Mimi. The car turned in the same direction that she was heading, and slowed down to a crawl. The window rolled down, and Michael's head popped out. It literally popped out. Like a poppy thing. 'Shut up brain!' Not even glancing at him, she continued walking down the street, praying that someone, anyone, would save her from this creep.

"Hey Meems, need a lift?" He offered as he smiled at her, his white teeth momentarily blinding her.

"Nope, not at all." Mimi lied as she looked around to see if there was somewhere she could escape to. Glancing down at her watch, she was slightly surprised that it was turning six.  
"Aw c'mon babe, you're totally soaked." Michael said, completely enjoying the view of Mimi's clothes clinging to her every curve.

The neighborhood she was in looked familiar, but for some reason, she couldn't remember why. Letting her feet guide her, she turned to look at Michael, and frowned at him.

"Babe?" She asked in both irritation and anger. If he didn't shut up soon and leave her alone, she was going to rip him out of that car...that very warm looking car...which was nice and dry...Shaking her head, to clear her thoughts, she stopped in front of a house without even realizing it. "What the hell makes you think that you can give me pet names!" She demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"Geez Meems, calm down." Michael laughed as he got out of the car and walked up to her.

"That's another thing! Only my friends can call me Meems, and last time I checked, you aren't my friend!" Mimi snapped as she took a step back.

"Come on Mimi, just get in the car. You're soaking wet and you'll catch cold." Michael tried to coax her into his car, but she didn't want to go with him. Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and began to pull her towards the car. "Look, I'll take you wherever you want, just get in the car."

"I said no, Michael!" Mimi struggled to get his hand off of her, but he seemed too strong.

"Is there a problem here?" A voice asked from behind them, causing the two to turn to see who was there.

Standing on the porch of the house that Mimi had stopped in front of, was three boys. Mimi gasped softly as she finally realized where she was exactly. Two of the boys looked alike, with dark blue eyes and black hair. The only difference between the two, was that one had longer hair then the other. The third boy had brown hair and brown eyes.

"Koji!" Mimi cried out, as she continued to struggle to get out of Michael's grasp.

"Let her go." The boy with shorter black hair demanded as he hopped over the railing of the porch, and landed on the grass with a soft thud.

"Mind your own business." Michael growled as he dragged Mimi over to the passenger side of the car.

"Let her go." The boy with brown hair yelled as he walked down the stairs and headed towards Michael.

"You want her? Then catch her!" Flinging Mimi forward, she stumbled forward and was about to fall, but before she could do so, strong arms wrapped around her and caught her.  
Michael jumped in his car and sped off down the street, leaving a silence behind him. Finally opening her eyes, Mimi looked up into the dark blue eyes of an old friend of hers. As she clung onto his arms, and stared into his dark blue eyes, it was then that Mimi realized that he was one of the people she had been searching for. One of the people who'd be able to help her sort out her crazy life.

"You ok?" He asked softly as he helped her stand up. Nodding, she tried to take a step, but wobbled, and would of fallen, if not for the arm that was quickly wrapped around her waist. She was helped inside by the two boys, while the third just watched from the porch.

As she was led inside, she looked around at how cozy and inviting it looked, unlike her own house. Everything still looked the same from when she was last there, with only a few minor differences. The boy with short black hair handed Mimi over to the brown haired boy to support her, as he went to go get a towel for her.

Mimi was lead upstairs and into a room by the brown haired boy, while the boy with black hair followed behind them. When they reached the room, Mimi collapsed on the ground, her legs feeling too weak to support her weight any longer. A towel suddenly hit her in the head, and Mimi looked up to find the boy with black hair from earlier standing in the doorway. Walking over to her, he knelt down behind her, and began to dry her hair off with the towel.

"Well?" The boy, who had remained quiet the whole time, asked, as he looked at her. He was leaning up against a desk, and his blue eyes studied her, as he watched the other boy dry off her hair.

"..." Where should she begin? She hadn't seen them in what, two, three years? What would she say? 'Hi, sorry for not keeping in touch. The thing is, my popularity meant more to me then our friendship?' Oh yeah, that'd be a great thing to say. Chewing on her bottom lip, she tried to think of what to say.

"I didn't think prank phone calls were your thing." He continued on, causing Mimi to wince at the memory of her earlier call.

"About that-" Mimi began, only to be cut off.

"Doesn't matter." He said, cutting her off harshly. Mimi suddenly felt small, really really small.

"Who was the jerk? Boyfriend or something?" The brown hair boy asked as he spun around in a chair near the desk.

"Don't make me laugh Takuya. That egotistical, hormone driven, jackass was definitely NOT my boyfriend." Mimi said as she looked over at him from where she sat.

"He a stalker then?" The boy finished drying her hair, and got up, before offering her a hand.

"Close enough." Mimi snorted, as she accepted the offered hand, and was practically lifted to her feet.

"There's some clothes in the bathroom that you can change into." Nudging her out of the room, he nodded towards the bathroom, and watched as she walked towards it on slightly wobbly legs.

Mimi hoped that she'd make it to the bathroom before her legs would give out again. It seemed that the rain had had more of an effect on her and her body then she had thought. Closing the door behind herself, she locked it, before leaning against the door, and slowly sliding down to the floor. Looking at the pile of clothes that was placed on the counter, she leaned forward and picked up the pile, pulling it closer to herself.

Sighing, she slowly stripped out of her clothes, and picking up the shirt, she examined it, before pulling it on. Pulling the pants on after that, she ran her hands through her hair a few times, trying to make it look somewhat decent. Looking at herself in the mirror, her eye began to twitch at seeing her makeup smeared. 'I look like a prostitute!' Her mind screamed as she turned on the hot water, and began to scrub the makeup off with her hands.

Minutes later, the makeup was off, and she finally deemed herself presentable. Grabbing the door handle, she frowned at seeing the sleeve cover her hand. Rolling up the end of the sleeve, she did the same with the other, and then turned to look at herself in the mirror. She wore a black sweater and a pair of blue denim shorts that went down a bit past her knees. Fresh socks caused her mood to improve, and a pair or black and white sneakers caused a smile to appear on her face.

Leaving the bathroom, she went back to the room, and, feeling a bit shy, knocked on the closed door. The door opened, and Mimi bowed her head as she entered the room. She could feel their eyes on her, and knowing that she would have to do it now before she lost her cool, she looked up. Her eyes locked with Koji's, and he nodded before getting up.

"We'll be back." The two left the room, and headed downstairs. Mimi chewed nervously on her lip as she continued to follow him outside onto the back porch. Leaning against the glass table, Koji watched as Mimi sat down in front of him. The rain hit the large umbrella that they were sitting under, and made a soft tapping noise as each drop hit.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose touch with you or the others. I was such a jerk. I thought more about being popular, then being with the friends I love. I'm so confused about everything right now. I really need your advice Koji." Sighing, she crossed her arms on the table, before burying her face in them.

"It's been two and a half years Mimi, and you're just now realizing that being popular isn't everything?" Koji asked as he leaned against the metal pole that held up the umbrella.

"I'm really, really sorry. I didn't want to just be some loser, to be a nobody. I wanted to be liked, to have lots of friends." Mimi argued lamely. "If...if you'll help me, I swear that I'll do whatever I have to, to get you and Kouchi, and Takuya to forgive me for abandoning you guys."  
The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, listening as the rain continued to fall. Thinking that it was a mistake to come, and that he wouldn't help, Mimi stood up, and was about to leave, when his voice stopped her.

"I'll help."


	7. The beginning of something new

The music playing on the radio mixed with the sound of the rain falling on the car. Matt tapped his fingers on the steering wheel while humming softly. His eyes held a far away look, and it wasn't until the light turned green, that he pulled himself out of his thoughts. Lately, it seemed as if all he did in his spare time was think. Most of his thoughts were about the band, and about how they should make a few demo cds and send them to record agencies. But, he had also been thinking about someone.

Picking up a cd from the seat next to him, he popped it in, and waited patiently for the song to start. As soon as it started, he turned the sound up, and tried to drown out the thoughts that were currently on his mind. He was heading over to Tai's for a bit to hang out before band practice. They had to start rehearsing today, because the prom was only a few weeks away.

The car vibrated from the loud music, yet it seemed that he couldn't hear the music at all. He was once again being pulled away from reality, and back into the thoughts he was trying so hard to get away from. Clenching the steering wheel with both hands, he saw that the light in front of him had switched from green to yellow. Speeding up, he took a sharp corner, causing his tires to screech loudly on the asphalt.

Mimi Tachikawa. That damn name kept repeating itself over and over in his head. Her smiling face wouldn't get out of his mind, and for some reason, that pissed him off. Why was she plaguing his thoughts? Why did she have to follow him around and show up out of nowhere? Why wouldn't she just leave him alone!

He unconsciously sped up, not really noticing that he had entered a neighborhood, and should have been slowing down. His knuckles were white, and his fingers ached from the death grip he had on the wheel. He glared at the rain and snarled when a car pulled out in front of him.

Damn it all! Why couldn't he get her out of his mind!

Slamming on the breaks, he waited until the other car was out of his way before continuing down the street to Tai's house. Parking in front of the house, he jogged over to the open garage where Tai sat on a couch, playing a video game. Picking up the second controller and beginning to punch a few buttons, he sat down as he watched the two characters on the TV start to fight each other.

"The others should be here soon, Izzy's picking up Ken from soccer practice and the other two called saying they'd be late." Tai said, eyes glued to the TV.

"Haven't seen those two in awhile, they've been busy, huh?" Leaning forward, Matt punched the buttons furiously, trying to keep from losing.

"Yeah, seems so."

A silence grew between the two, minus the pounding of the rain on the sidewalk and the clicking of the buttons on the controllers. Tai won. Leaning back and waiting for the game to restart, Tai glanced over at his friend.

"So..what's going on between you and Mimi?"

**xoxoxoxox**

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Mimi asked a bit nervously as the car slowed down in front of a house.

"Meems, they won't care as long as you stay out of the way." Takuya reassured her as they got out of the car.

"Yeah Mimi, they don't mind if I hang out and listen, it shouldn't be any different for you." Kouichi smiled at her as the four teens headed up the driveway towards Tai's garage.

"Hey guys, been awhile." Koji greeted the four boys already inside the garage. By the looks of it, the four boys were just getting ready to start practice.

Matt was a bit surprised to see Mimi there of all people and dressed in what appeared to be Koji's clothes. Looking at Koji, his friend shook his head as if reading his mind and answering his question. Mimi was fidgeting with the bottom of the shirt, twisting it around her finger, only to try and smooth it out afterwards. He watched her and Kouichi sit on the couch as the band discussed what song to practice first.

"I'll explain later." Koji told Matt quietly while the others agreed to begin with a song they'd be playing at the dance.

Practice went smoothly, with only a few adjustments and changes to the songs they played. Mimi caught herself staring at Matt a few times, and when he caught her eye once, she turned away blushing, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Who are you going to the prom with?" Mimi asked Kouichi as the band was finishing up a song.

"I'm going to be taking my girlfriend Zoe." He said with a smile.

"You have a girlfriend? Oh wow I didn't even know! Tell me all about her. How did you meet her? How long have you been together?" Mimi turned to face him, crossing her legs and leaning forward, intent on getting all the details about her and the two of them as a couple.

"Haha..ok, well I met her halfway through my freshman year of highschool, she transferred from Italy and well, we've been together ever since." He blushed slightly causing Mimi to laugh.

"Ok guys, ten minute break." Matt said as he set his guitar down. Mimi watched as he and Koji headed upstairs and bit her bottom lip, a nervous habit she thought she had gotten over a long time ago.

Takuya watched Mimi as she stared after Koji and Matt who went upstairs to get drinks for the others. She bit her bottom lip and he couldn't help but smile. 'She's nervous.' Walking over to her, he sat down on the arm of the couch and just grinned at her.

"Um..why are you smiling at me?" Mimi asked with a strange look at her brown haired friend.

"You like him, don't you?" The blush that appeared on her cheeks was the only answer he needed. "Does he know?"

"No!" Mimi yelled, causing Ken and Izzy to give her strange looks. "No." She whispered, her face becoming more red with embarrassment at her outburst.

"Why don't you tell him?" Kouichi asked from her other side, causing her to turn and face him.

"Because I can't like someone like him." She bit her bottom lip hard, regretting those words the second they left her tongue. Takuya's smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown.

"'Someone like him'? Meems..you're doing it." His quiet words made her feel even worse about it.

"Are we really that different from you? Clothes and money isn't everything you know." Kouichi said just as quietly. Mimi winced as if he shouted at her, and wished that she could disappear.

"No..I'm sorry. You aren't, he isn't. I know money and designer labels aren't everything. Two and half years..going to take me awhile to get over my old habits." She mumbled quietly, making the two boys strain to hear what she said.

"If you like him, go tell him." Kouichi smiled as he nudged her softly with his elbow.

"Yeah, I know he doesn't have a date for the prom yet." Takuya laughed at seeing Mimi blush again.

"Do you guys really think I should?" Why was she so nervous about asking Matt? There was nothing to it, yet she couldn't help but feel nervous and a bit worried he'd say no.

"Go for it."

**xoxoxoxox**

"Didn't know that you and Mimi were friends." Matt said quietly as he and Koji headed upstairs to get drinks and snacks for the others.

"Yeah, before she was popular. Hard to believe, huh?" Koji laughed, causing Matt to grin in reply. "We grew up together since first grade, but at the beginning of highschool she decided that being popular was more important then being with your friends."

Matt grabbed sodas out of the fridge while Koji dug around in the pantry for some snacks.

"What happened today then to make her show up with you guys?" Matt surprised himself with the question and glared at the soda in his hand, as if it was at fault.

"She showed up in front of the house, soaking wet with Michael was harassing her. She apologized for the past few years and said she wanted to change, that she didn't want to be popular anymore." Koji watched his friend, curious at to what his reaction would be. Matt's hand had balled up into a fist at hearing Michael's name, yet another thing that surprised him. Why did he care what happened to her? She was just a stuck up brat.

"You think she's serious?" He let go of his death grip on the soda and placed it on the counter next to the rest.

"Yeah, I really think she is about this." Koji said while putting a bag of popcorn into the microwave. They let the silence grow between them, both becoming lost in their own thoughts. A minute later the silence was broken by the beeping of the microwave indicating that the popcorn was ready.

Picking up the sodas, while Koji grabbed the snacks, the two of them began to head back to the garage where the others were.

"Give her a chance Matt." Koji's last words caught Matt by surprise, and he almost slipped and fell down the stairs.

Mimi dozed off once the band started practicing again and woke up to find herself alone with no clue as to what time it was. The garage door was closed and she went upstairs, fixing her hair on the way and hoping she didn't look too bad. She found Tai and Matt sitting on the couch watching tv. Not wanting to bother them, she let herself out, unaware of the fact that they saw her leave.

"I'll see you later." Matt said as he got up and went outside after her. He found her at the end of the driveway, trying to decide which direction to go to get home. "Need a lift?" He offered, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

Getting in the car, he waited til she closed the door before starting the engine and pulling away from the sidewalk and onto the street. It was getting dark out and the street lights were beginning to come on. The rain had stopped not long ago, leaving puddles on the sidewalks and streets. Turning on the radio, he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in beat with the music. Neither of them spoke and to Mimi's surprise, he remembered the way to her house. Pulling into the driveway he waited for her to get out and was surprised as well at seeing her not move.

She wanted to ask him but the butterflies in her stomach made it hard to do. Swallowing, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye and blushed lightly at seeing him watching her. It was now or never, she had to do it. He wasn't going with anyone supposedly, so she had a chance, right? Opening her mouth, she closed it and swallowed again. Why was she so nervous?

"Thanks for driving me home." She couldn't do it.

"Sure." He tried to concentrate on the song playing, tried not to think about her.

Getting out of the car, she closed the door and headed up her driveway, mentally hitting herself for not asking him. Why was it so hard? It was just Matt. She didn't like him. Sitting down on the stairs of the front porch, she squeezed her eyes closed and let her head hit the wooden railing.

"It's cold out." Mimi jumped and turned to see Matt sitting next to her on the porch. Her heart was pounding and she felt the butterflies attack her stomach once more.

"Yeah, it is." She was nervous and she didn't know what to do for once.

"Do..you have a date for the prom?" He asked quietly, avoiding eye contact with her.

"No I don't." Staring at her hands she felt herself blushing and prayed that he couldn't see it.

"Would you like to go then?" He turned to look at her and she smiled at him, meeting his eyes.

"I'd love to."


	8. A dark night

"Meems! You're finally here!" Sora greeted her friend who was making her way through the crowd towards her. Hikari smiled at Mimi as she offered her a cup of soda.

"Thanks." Taking a sip, she glanced around but didn't see Daisuke or Takeru around.

"I'm surprised you showed up." Hikari said as the three girls headed over to the couch and sat down.

"Well if Sora hadn't called me, I wouldn't have." The fact was, she was planning on blowing off the party, but Sora called her up and demanded that she come.

"There you guys are." Daisuke said as he along with Takeru and a few other guys approached the sitting girls. Mimi looked up and groaned slightly at seeing Michael with them. As far as Sora or the others knew, Mimi was interested in Michael and it was apparent he felt the same way about her.

"Hey Mimi, can we talk?" Michael asked causing Sora to give her friend a grin.

Glancing at her two friends, Mimi got up and followed Michael into the crowd. Michael led Mimi outside onto the porch just as Matt and Tai entered the front door.

"So..what do you want?" Mimi asked as she set her cup down on the porch railing. Leaning against the railing, she glanced once at Michael before looking up at the sky and the numerous stars.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier." He said quietly while pulling a small packet out of his pocket. "I shouldn't have tried to force you into my car. I just wanted to help you." Opening the packet, he poured it into her drink, careful to make sure she didn't see him do it. Putting the packet back in his pocket, he gave her drink a quick swirl to help the contents mix in.

"Look Michael, I don't like you. I thought did at one point but I don't, so just leave me alone." Picking up her cup, she took a swallow from it before heading back inside, leaving a smirking Michael behind.

Whether or not it was the heat inside the place, Mimi soon found herself dizzy and stumbling about. She went back to the couch where her friends had been, only to realize none of them were there. Head pounding, she headed towards the stairs and muttered an apology to someone she bumped into along the way. The person however, grabbed her arm and spun her around, causing her to stumble into them once more.

"Mimi? Are you ok?" Hikari asked, worry evident on her face.

"Yeah...of course. I'm fine." Mimi slurred as she stumbled forward into Hikari again.

"Did you drink too much or something?" Shaking her head, Mimi leaned back against the wall, her head continuing to spin. "Did someone slip you something?" Looking around to see if anyone was watching them, Hikari's eyes passed right over Michael who was slowly approaching the two girls.

"Is something wrong?" Michael asked, feigning concern for the brunette before him.

"I think someone slipped something in Mimi's drink. I'm gonna go get T.k. to drive us home, can you watch her for me?" Smiling, Michael nodded and watched as Hikari went off in search of her boyfriend.

"You.." Mimi slurred as she looked up at Michael who was towering over her. Stumbling over to the stairs, she leaned on the railing and pushed through the few people on them, trying to get away from Michael who followed closely behind her. At the top of the landing, she tried to open the first door, only to find it locked.

"Come on Meems, we should go back down and join everyone else." Laughing, he watched Mimi slide to the ground and back away from him.

"Go away Michael." Black spots danced before her eyes and the dizziness wasn't getting any better. Her eyelids felt heavy and she continued to crawl away from Michael as he kept advancing on her.

"Two years I've waited for you Mimi and now that you can't fight back, I'm going to take what's mine." Mimi had made it into an empty bedroom and tried to push the door closed before Michael could get in, but he easily pushed his way in and closed the door behind himself.

"No.." His hands grabbed her, pulled her towards him and he lowered his head, his lips hungry for hers.

**xoxox**

"Kari?" Tai called out in surprise as a young brunette girl pushed past him. Turning in surprise, Hikari winced at seeing her big brother and his friend Matt standing in front of her.

"Uh..hi Tai." The word busted fit the situation perfectly. Only 16 and caught by her big brother at a college party.

"What are you doing here?" Tai demanded as he glared at his little sister who still happened to have a half empty beer bottle in her hand.

"Uh.." Her mind drew a blank as she tried to come up with an excuse.

"That must mean T.k. is here as well." Matt mumbled before leaving the two teens to go find his younger brother.

"Come on, we're leaving." Grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her through the crowd and out the front door before she could even react.

"But Tai, I can't go yet." Hikari protested as her older brother dug around in his pockets for his car keys.

Takeru was pushed lightly out the front door by his older brother who wasn't too pleased with finding his younger brother at the party.

"So we'll finish up tomorrow?" Tai asked his friend as the four teens headed up the grassy hill towards where their cars were parked.

"Yeah." Matt replied taking the keys to the car out of Takeru's hand.

"But Tai I can't go!" Hikari was being pulled along by her brother who ignored her protests to stay. Balling up her fist, she hit his arm as hard as she could. It was the first time in his life that Tai ever got hit by his younger sister. Releasing her arm in surprise, he turned to face Hikari.

"Ok Kari, what is it?" He demanded, hurt from what she did apparent in his eyes. They didn't get along when it came to most things, but she had never hit him before.

"Look I'm sorry for hitting you Tai, but I can't go. I was looking for T.k. because something's wrong with Mimi." Takeru and Matt who had been talking nearby stopped, both heads turning to look at the younger girl.

"What did you say?" Matt asked as he took a step towards the short girl.

"What do you mean something's wrong?" Takeru asked at the same time.

"I don't know, maybe she was drunk or something but her speech was slurred and she kept stumbling about. I left her with Michael though to go look for T.k." At the mention of Michael, Matt left the three and ran back towards the house.

**xoxox**

Mimi's eyes opened slowly only to close again as sunlight blinded her. Groaning softly, she rolled over in bed and snuggled up against her warm, soft teddy bear. It wasn't until she became aware of the beating of a heart beneath her that she realized it wasn't her teddy bear which she slept with at night. Mimi's eyes flew open as she sat up in bed to see who was with her.

"Woof." A golden lab greeted Mimi with a lick on the cheek.

"Only a dog.." Laughing she scratched the dog behind the ear before looking around the room. Getting out of bed, she looked down to find herself in clothes that weren't her own. Looking around, she tried to find her clothes but couldn't. Wondering where she was, she glanced around the room again before recognizing it as Hikari's. Heading downstairs she heard her friend talking to someone.

"I'll be sure to let her know Mrs. Tachikawa. Mhm...yup, ok. Bye." Entering the kitchen, Mimi watched as Hikari hung up the phone.

"What'd she want?" Mimi asked from behind Hikari, causing the girl to jump in surprise.

"Meems! How are you?" Hikari hurried over to her friend, a worried look in her eyes.

"Fine, tired but fine. What am I doing here?" Swatting her friend's hand from her forehead, the two of them sat down at the kitchen table where a box of poptarts sat on top.

"We couldn't wake you up last night so we brought you here. Didn't think it'd be a good idea to take you home unconscious. I called your mom and told her you were spending the night. She called a few minutes ago to just check in." Hikari's hands fidgeted underneath the table and she couldn't quite meet Mimi's eyes.

"Unconscious? What happened last night?" Mimi, who had been tearing open a package of poptarts stopped and looked at her friend.

"You don't remember at all?" The two girls looked at each other, both confused.

"No..what happened?" Mimi's voice faltered slightly and her heartbeat quickened as multiple scenarios ran through her head.

Hikari told her friend what happened the night before and felt bad at seeing the expression on her friend's face.

"Matt ran back into the house to get you, he didn't say what happened inside, just came back out carrying you in his arms." The two girls sat in silence for a few minutes, Hikari watching Mimi and Mimi who was trying to remember something of what she had been told happened the previous night. "He's here, if you want to talk to him." Hikari suddenly said, breaking the silence.

Mimi looked up from the package of poptarts she had been staring at. "Where is he?"

"Downstairs in the garage with Tai." Standing up, the two girls hugged before Mimi left her friend and went out to the garage. She found the two boys sitting on the couch with the tv on, but neither of them paying much attention to it.

"Matt.." Mimi began, causing the two boys to turn and face her.

"You're up." Tai said, slightly surprised to see her there.

"How are you?" Matt asked as his eyes looked her over.

Mimi blushed lightly, remembering that she was wearing only one of Tai's t-shirts. Tai glanced between his friend and Mimi before getting up and leaving the garage to let the two talk.

"I'm ok. Hikari told me what happened last night, well most of it. Um..what happened when you went back inside?" Mimi shifted nervously in front of him, rubbing one of her arms for warmth.

Matt leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes.

_**Last night**_

Matt ran back into the crowded house, his eyes scanning the crowd for Mimi. Not even hesitating, he followed a gut feeling of his and turned to go up the stairs and towards the bedrooms at the top. Passing the first door which turned out to be a bathroom, he pushed open the second door and froze at seeing Michael over Mimi's unconscious body on the bed. She had no clothes on and he was in the process of taking his off.

"You sick son of a bitch!" Matt growled as he grabbed Michael and threw him off Mimi and onto the floor. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Calm down, you can have a turn when I'm done." Michael laughed as he got up and took a step towards Mimi again.

Another punch knocked Michael back and before he knew it, he was pinned against a wall with Matt's arm under his neck, forcing his head back.

"If you touch, or even look at her again after tonight, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life." Matt whispered the threat, his eyes cold and hard. Pulling him by the arm, Matt threw Michael out of the room and into the wall across from it.

Turning back to Mimi, he pulled his coat off and wrapped it around her body, before carefully picking her up in his arms. Her eyes didn't flutter once as he adjusted her in his arms and her body remained limp as well. Leaving the bedroom, he glared at Michael before heading down the stairs and back outside to where the others waited.

"Is she ok?" Hikari asked as ran over to Matt as he came out.

"Yeah. Can she stay at your house tonight?" Matt placed Mimi carefully in the back seat of the car while Hikari got in on the other side.

"Of course." Her eyes strayed down and widened slightly in surprise at seeing Mimi had no clothes on.

"Tai, take T.k. home for me." Matt half asked, half said as he got in the car.

"Sure."

The drive was quiet. Matt's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. Looking in the rearview mirror, he watched Mimi, hoping for her to wake up, to say something, but she remained unconscious. Azure eyes shifted back to the road as he tried to focus on the road and the way to get to Tai's house. Mimi had been given some sort of drug, obviously from Michael considering he was the one he found with her. His mind was blank, but at the same time he couldn't get the image of Mimi vulnerable and defenseless with Michael standing over her, out of his mind.

Pulling the car into the driveway, Matt got out and got Mimi out with the help of Hikari. Matt carried Mimi inside the house, after Hikari and upstairs towards the girl's bedroom. Inside, he gently placed her on the bed and surprised himself when he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

Without another word, Matt left.

_**Present**_

"Matt?" Mimi asked, waving her hand in front of him.

"Huh?" Blinking, his eyes focused and shifted to her face.

"You gonna tell me what happened last night?"


	9. Bittersweet

Mimi hummed quietly as she dried her hair with a towel. She was currently getting ready for her date with Matt. He hadn't told her what they were doing which was frustrating because it made it impossible to decide what to wear. Dropping her towel on her desk chair, she went over and opened her closet doors and stared at the clothes inside.

Selecting a bright blue dress, she held it up against herself and turned to look at her reflection in the full length mirror. It had a halter top and low back, not to mention it showed off her legs. Shifting from foot to foot and pulling at the skirt, she let her mind wander back to a few days ago.

_**Few days ago...**_

"_Nothing happened." Matt said as Mimi sat down on the couch next to him._

"_Really? I don't really remember much about last night." She hugged a pillow to herself and let her gaze shift to that. Her mind felt empty and her recollection of the previous night was fuzzy at best._

"_Yeah, I found you asleep on a bed." He glanced over at her, but couldn't meet her eyes. Even though nothing had happened and he was sure Michael would keep his distance from her, he didn't want to tell her the truth. "Do you want to do something on Friday?" He wasn't sure who was more surprised by the question, Mimi or himself._

"_I'd love to." Mimi smiled at him and was even more surprised to see a small smile briefly cross Matt's lips._

_**Present**_

Mimi was brought out of her thoughts by the ringing of her cell phone which was on top of her desk. Wondering if it was Matt, she quickly went over and picked it up, not bothering to glance at her caller id.

"Hello?" Mimi asked as she changed into the dress.

"Meems, have any plans tonight?" Sora's voice surprised Mimi, causing her to accidently drop her cell phone. "Meems?"

"Ah, sorry. Yeah, I actually do." The smile on Mimi's voice was evident in her voice.

"Ohh...with Michael, huh?"

"No! I mean, of course I am, who else would I go on a date with?"

"Yamato!" Sora yelled before laughing loudly.

Mimi glared at her phone but forced herself to laugh, even if only for a second. "Yeah, I gotta go, Mom's calling, bye." Hanging up before Sora could answer, Mimi tossed her phone on her bed and quickly pulled her shoes on.

The doorbell rang and Mimi quickly rushed to her window and looked out to see Matt standing on her front porch. She watched for a minute before she realized no one was answering the front door. Running across the room and out her bedroom door, she leaned over the stairwell banister and peered into the living room to see her Dad reading the newspaper.

"Daddy answer the door!" Mimi yelled.

"Why don't you since it's your friend?" He yelled back, causing Mimi to stamp her foot.

"Cause Daddy I'm supposed to make him wait a bit before I come down!" Mimi yelled again in annoyance.

"Let him wait outside then!" He laughed at that, causing Mimi to scream.

"You two are both idiots." Mimi's Mom said as she walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. Opening the front door, she smiled warmly at seeing Matt. "Hello there, please come in." Mimi watched as Matt walked in. To her surprise, he glanced up in her direction, and she stumbled over her own feet as she dove out of view.

Falling back into her room, she groaned loudly as she hit her knee on a book which felt like a rock. Sitting down, she looked at her knee which was red from the impact. Poking it delicately with a finger, she was unaware that her Mom let Matt go upstairs to her room.

"You sure are graceful." Matt said from behind her. Blushing, Mimi turned around to find Matt leaning against the doorframe. Looking him over, she realized that he wasn't as dressed up as she was. He wore a dark green turtleneck and a pair of light blue jeans with the knees ripped out.

"Matt, where are we going?" Mimi asked as she got up and headed back to her closet to quickly find something more casual to wear.

"You'll see." He grinned at her and she blushed even more.

'God he's hot.' Mimi thought as she pulled out a pair of skinny black jeans and a light blue tanktop. Turning back around, she found Matt looking at the multiple pictures she had on her desk. "Don't turn around." Kicking her shoes off, she pulled her jeans on, checked to make sure Matt wasn't looking, then quickly pulled the dress off and pulled the tanktop on.

"I didn't know you had this picture." Matt said as he held up one, his eyes slowly taking in all the smiling faces. Mimi who had finished pulling her shoes on, walked over to him, and stood on tiptoe as she peered over his shoulder at the picture.

"Oh, yeah. That was a long time ago, huh?" The picture Matt held was the one of them, along with Tai and Sora in a kindergarten class together. Sora had Tai in a headlock while Matt and Mimi were making faces at each other.

"Yeah, it was." Setting the picture back down, he turned to her. "Ready?"

**xoxox**

Sora sighed as she carried the grocery bags out of the store. The walk home wasn't going to be as easy as the walk there. The bags were heavy and she didn't have her car either. Shifting a few bags around, she sighed again in annoyance. Not fun at all.

"Hey Sora, need a lift?" A familiar voice said as a car slowed down next to her. Looking over at the driver, she was surprised to see that it was Michael of all people.

"Aren't you on your way to pick up Mimi for your date?" Sora asked, obviously confused.

"I wish." Michael muttered, his mind flashing back to when Matt threatened him.

"I just called Mimi though and she told me she was going on a date with you." Sora continued as she got in the car.

"No, last time I talked to her was at the party." The car pulled away from the curb and took off down the street. "Besides," he added, looking over at Sora, "she likes Yamato."

"What?!" Sora yelled as she turned in her seat to stare at the blonde. "You're joking, right?!" He had to be joking, Mimi would never like a guy like Yamato. Besides, the two of them were best friends, she would have told her!

"I wish. At the party, Yamato threatened me to stay away from her." His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, causing his knuckles to turn white.

"Are you serious?" Sora couldn't help but just stare at Michael in shock. 'What the hell is going on with Mimi? This isn't like her at all!'

"Yeah." The car slowed down again and Sora realized they were in front of her house.

"I'll call you later." Sora said as she got out. "Thanks for the lift." Heading up the driveway, she listened to the car drive off. Opening the front door, she closed it with her foot and headed into the kitchen where she put the bags on the counters.

"Thanks honey." Sora's Mom said as she entered the kitchen.

"I'll be upstairs if you need me." Jogging up to her room, she closed the door behind herself and sat on her bed. 'Why would Mimi like that loser Yamato? He wasn't cool or popular at all, so why? Was she an exception to the 'Don't date a loser' rule?' Punching her pillow, Sora glared at it in anger. "It was her damn rule in the first place! It's her fault what happened between herself and Tai.

_**Flashback: 4 years ago**_

"_I'm not saying he isn't a good guy or anything, I'm just saying he isn't all that..." Mimi trailed off as the subject being spoken of joined the two girls._

"_Hey Sora, Mimi." Tai greeted the two as he gave Sora a peck on the cheek. Picking up his water bottle, he poured half of it over his head before shaking it, sending the water flying on the two girls._

"_Hey!" Mimi yelled as she scrambled out of the way._

"_Stop acting like a dog." Sora laughed as she used her arm to shield herself from the water._

"_Haha you love it though." Giving Sora another kiss, he left the two girls and jogged back onto the soccer field._

"_That's what I'm talking about! He's so immature!" Mimi huffed as she sat back down on the grass next to Sora._

"_What's so bad about that?" Sora looked at her friend, confusion evident on her face._

"_Sora, we're going to be in highschool next year, we're supposed to mature and well...Taichi is anything but mature." She tried to break the news gently, but she realized it would take a bit more before her friend saw her point of view._

"_Guys are immature, so what?" Sora was starting to understand, but at the same time she was still confused._

"_If you want to be cool in highschool you'll need to have a cool boyfriend. Someone mature and possibly new if possible." Mimi let her words sink in before she continued. "Someone like Daisuke perhaps."_

"_Daisuke.." Sora said the name slowly as her gaze drifted to the soccer field._

"_He's new, cute, and mature." Mimi smiled encouragingly at her friend. "Plus he's pretty popular, being new and all. And if you want to remain that way..." She trailed off, her point obvious. If Sora wanted to remain popular she'd have to dump Tai for Daisuke._

_**xxoo**_

"_Tai, we need to talk." Sora said quietly over the phone. She wanted to tell him in person, but she was too much of a chicken to meet him. She didn't want to see the look in his eyes when she told him._

"_Sure, what's up?" Tai's voice sounded cheerful. Sora bit her bottom lip hard, trying to fight the tears that were wanting to come out._

"_Look it's not working out between us. I just want to end things now before we get in too deep." It was a lie, she was already in deep with him and she loved it._

"_If that's what you want Sora." Tai said quietly, which surprised her. He wasn't going to say they should try to work it out? Not going to demand a better reason? Maybe he didn't really care about her all that much in the first place. The tears began to slide down her cheeks and she glared angrily at her pillow._

"_Bye Tai."_

"_Bye Sora."_

_**End flashback**_

Sora grabbed her pillow, buried her face in it, and screamed for all she could. Mimi made her dump Tai because he wasn't mature or popular. Now Mimi thought that she could go out with Yamato who wasn't popular at all? It wasn't fair! Why should she change her life because of Mimi's popularity rules, while Mimi can just ignore them? Oh no, she wouldn't let Mimi get off the hook that easily. If she had to suffer because of popularity, she would damn well make sure Mimi went through the same thing.

Getting off her bed, she went over to her desk and picked up her cell phone which was lying on top. Flipping open the top and punching in a few numbers, she held it up to her ear as it rang. It was only a few seconds before someone finally picked up.

"Hello?" A male voice asked.

"Hey Michael, we need to talk." Sora smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She was going to make sure Mimi suffered.

**xoxox**

"I'm going to die!" Mimi shrieked as she flailed her arms wildly, trying to not lose her balance.

"Mimi it's not that hard!" Matt laughed as he watched her.

"Easy for you to say." She stuck her tongue out at him. Gravity decided to take over then and Mimi fell backwards and groaned as she met the cold ice below.

"Here, I'll help you." Matt offered her his hand, which she took gratefully.

"Promise you won't let me fall again?" She asked as he pulled her to her feet.

"I promise." Spinning around so he was in front, he took both of her hands in his own. "Ready?" He looked at her, his blue eyes locking with her brown ones.

Mimi couldn't help but blush lightly as he looked at her, and she nodded her head in reply. 'His hands are warm.' Matt slowly started skating backwards, pulling her along with him. Squeezing his hands harder, Mimi stuck her butt out as she was slowly pulled along by him. "This..isn't too bad." She said quietly, causing Matt to smile at her.

"So you like it then?" His smile widened at seeing her nod again. Letting go of her hands, he moved out of the way and let her go on her own.

"Matt!" Mimi shrieked as she slowly inched forward on her own, panic evident on her face.

"Come on Mimi, you're barely going anywhere." He laughed again. She had her arms held out in front of herself while her butt was still sticking out.

"That's cause I don't want to die!" Ok, so she was being a bit dramatic, but she had never gone ice skating before.

"Here, come on." Matt placed his hands on Mimi's hips and helped her turn around. "I'll skate with you." The two moved forward slowly at first, before starting to go faster.

"Wow.." Mimi smiled and closed her eyes briefly, enjoying the feeling of ice skating. Opening her eyes, she realized that she was alone. "Matt?" Doing a shaky turn, she saw him standing a bit behind herself.

"See? You did it on your own. Now, think you can come here?" He had his hands shoved in his pockets and a small, cocky smile on his face.

"Of course I can, I'm a fast learner." Mimi boasted as she started to skate her way towards him. Despite learning how to go forward, she hadn't learned how to stop. "Oh God, Matt catch me!" Mimi yelled as she closed her eyes and collided with him.

Matt wrapped his arms around Mimi as they fell, and she ended up landing on top of him. Opening her eyes slowly, she found herself face to face with Matt. Feeling her cheeks grow warm, she was surprised to see Matt blushing as well. The two looked at each other for a minute in silence, neither knowing what to say. Gathering up her courage, Mimi lowered her head and pressed her lips softly against Matt's. He responded instantly, pressing his lips firmly against hers while his hands held her body tightly against his.

After what felt like forever, the kiss was broken and both teens blushed even more as they continued to look at each other. Mimi was the one to speak first.

"Guess you didn't keep your promise after all, huh?"

**XoxoxoX**

Ok, I gotta admit, the chapter was kinda cheesy at the end and yes, it's a filler chapter. But, the next chapter will have lots of action, drama, love..all that good stuff in it! Review and I'll be sure to get the next chapter out ASAP :)


	10. Time is Running Out

"The prom king is...Michael!"

The crowd cheered loudly as Michael walked up onto the stage and took his place next to Mimi who had minutes before been crowned queen of the prom.

**xoxox**

Sora smiled as she approached Yamato, ready to play her part in getting revenge against her ex-best friend Mimi. "You know, it's too bad that Michael won, I really thought that you had a chance."

"I think I'll somehow manage to hide my disappointment." Yamato's sarcastic reply caused Sora to shoot him a quick glare before managing to compose herself and try again.

"Well," Sora began, moving closer to Yamato and lowering her voice as well, "seems as if I won the bet. Mimi owes me money, you see, because she wasn't able to make you prom king like she boasted she could." The words whispered caught Yamato off guard and he turned to look at Sora who just smiled sweetly at him.

"What are you talking about?" Yamato's azure eyes were beginning to turn cold which caused Sora's smile to just grow bigger.

"A few weeks ago, Mimi who didn't have a date for prom, suddenly had this idea that she could fix you up enough so she could not only take you to prom, but have you be crowned king as well. I told her it wasn't a good idea and that you wouldn't win, no offense, because you have no interest in these sort of school matters. She refused to believe me though and even decided to make it into a bet, I didn't want to accept it but she kept insisting and I had no choice at all." Sora laid her hand on Yamato's arm, almost as if she were trying to comfort him after hearing what she decided she'd tell him as "the truth".

"And you expect me to believe this?" Yamato arched a brow as he looked at the girl next to him, wanting to not believe her, but at the same time it almost felt as if something clicked in the back of his mind.

"Why do you think she looks so unhappy even though she was crowned queen?" Sora asked innocently as she nodded her head in the direction of the stage. Yamato turned back to the stage and, although he didn't want to admit it, Mimi did look unhappy.

"Whatever." Pulling his arm away from Sora, Yamato turned and began to walk in the opposite direction of the stage.

Sora waited until Yamato was out of earshot before laughing quietly to herself. Turning to go look for Daisuke, Sora instead found herself face to face with Taichi instead. Her smile disappeared and she took a step back at the look of fury that was burning in Taichi's golden brown eyes. Instead of saying something to her, like she expected, Taichi just grabbed her arm and began to pull her through the crowd, ignoring the quite, half-hearted protests that Sora was giving.

Making their way through the crowd, Taichi lead Sora out of the room, down a hall, and outside into the dark night. It was after the door closed behind them and Taichi looked to make sure no one was around, before he turning and facing the girl he had once loved.

"Why would you do that Sora?" The words Taichi spoke were colder than the night air and Sora fought the urge to start rubbing her arms for warmth.

"That bitch deserves it. She did the same thing to me, I'm only repaying her for it!" Sora snapped, wishing she felt as brave as she tried to sound. The look Taichi gave her caused her heart to ache in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.

"So you decided to not only try to get back at her but also involve Yamato as well?" Taichi shook his head and looked away from Sora, wishing what he said wasn't true but knowing it was.

Sora turned her head before speaking, knowing that if Taichi saw her face, he'd be able to tell she was lying. "It's not my fault Mimi decided to drag Yamato into this, it's all her idea."

"You're a terrible liar." Taichi laughed as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit up.

Shooting Taichi a glare, Sora turned to head back inside, but was stopped as Taichi grabbed her and spun her around to face him, before leaning down and pressing his lips firmly against her own. Surprised by the kiss, Sora just stood there, unsure of what to do next.

**xoxox**

Mimi could only try to suppress the groan she felt wanting to escape at hearing that the prom king was once again Michael. After the last few encounters she had with him, she couldn't decide on whether to punch him or just try to avoid him completely. Not only was he a jerk but he was a creepy one at that which just made him ten times worse then any normal creep or jerk. He smiled at her as his crown was placed on his head and before she could stop herself, she rolled her eyes in disgust and looked away while he thanked everyone for voting for him. _'Probably rigged the ballots.' _Looking back over at him, she saw his hand extended towards her and everyone staring at her as if waiting for her to accept.

"The dance?" Michael prompted her quietly, causing her to remember what was supposed to happen next. Without any enthusiasm, Mimi placed her hand in Michael's and allowed herself to be lead onto the dance floor by him. If it wasn't the one duty she had as being prom queen, she would have slugged him and left him on the stage alone. The music began to play, a slow song that Mimi had liked but realized she'd have to hate after tonight and the dance that she was taking part in with Michael.

"We look good together." Michael whispered as he placed his hand on her waist and pulled her closer than was necessary.

Mimi only grunted in return while her eyes scanned the watching crowd, looking for Yamato.

"I'm so glad I get to share this dance with you." Michael whispered into Mimi's ear as the two of them danced to a slow song. "After that great night we had at the party, I just had to have you as my queen."

Mimi turned to face Michael, eyes narrowing and her grip on him tightening as she dug her nails into his hand. "What are you talking about? Nothing happened."

"Oh? Is that what Ishida told you?" Michael laughed, causing Mimi to glare at him.

"Of course, because nothing happened between us. I passed out on a bed." Why was Michael bringing that night up? Nothing had happened, she had just passed out after drinking, that was a normal thing.

"So he didn't mention how he interrupted us in bed together?" Michael couldn't help but grin at seeing Mimi's face pale quickly. "You got drunk and dragged me up to that bedroom and who was I to say no to Princess Mimi?" Leaning forward, Michael brought his rough, dry lips hard against Mimi's and before she could register what was going on, he spun her away from himself to put some distance between themselves.

Feeling sick to her stomach, Mimi's eyes anxiously searched the crowd, looking for the face of Yamato, the one person she wanted to see more than anything else at that moment. She didn't know why, but she felt that if she could just get to him, that everything would be okay, that nothing Michael told her would matter anymore. When her cinnamon orbs finally found the azure pair she had been so desperately looking for, she was surprised to see them cold and instead of glaring at Michael, they were instead glaring at her as if she was the one who had done something wrong. What was going on? Michael pulled her close and she turned, out of rhythm with the music to look for Yamato once more, but he was gone. Why was Yamato angry at her? He was the one who had lied about that night at the party. He said nothing had happened, that she had just passed out so why, why was he mad at her?

**xoxox**

After the dance had ended, Mimi managed to escape into the crowd and away from Michael as a new song began to play and everyone began to dance. She headed in the direction she had seen Yamato previously, hoping he was still nearby. As she arrived at the place she had seen him, she looked around and was disappointed to find him nowhere in sight. _Where are you? _Standing on her toes, she searched the crowd, trying desperately to find him, but the lights had dimmed and it was almost impossible to make out anyone from a distance. Growing both annoyed and anxious, Mimi headed once more into the crowd, hoping to find him, but at the same time knowing that it was pointless to be checking the last place he would be at.

A sudden hand on Mimi's arm caused her to turn around and to her surprise she found the familiar face of Yamato staring down at her, blank of emotion except for the coldness of his azure eyes. Without thinking, they reached for each other and began dancing to the music, their bodies craving the familiar touch of the other although their minds were filled with confusion, hurt and anger at what they had recently learned. Neither was sure what to believe at that moment, the person that they were touching, a touch that satiated a hunger they never knew they had, or the whispered words of someone they didn't trust.

Mimi's mind fumbled as she danced, trying in vain to put words together in her head, trying to form a sentence that would make sense. She wanted to ask him why he lied to her, but she also wanted to know why he was mad at her. Something was off, not right and she just wished more than anything she could fix this unseen problem and make everything better. All she wanted at that moment was for him to smile at her and for them to be okay. Catching his gaze, she felt a pain in her chest at realizing the coldness hadn't dissipated any since they had begun to dance.

Despite being so close to her, he still felt angry at having listened to Sora and her lies. But a small voice in the back of his head kept bothering him, kept asking what he would do if Sora was right? But she wasn't though, Mimi wouldn't do that to him, she had changed, he had seen that change, hadn't he? It would be best to just come out and ask Mimi about it, to hear the truth from her instead of fighting himself over what Sora had said to him. Mimi finally met his gaze and he could see clearly the mixture of emotions that were behind her eyes.

"Yamato," Mimi began, tearing her gaze away from his, "did something happen at the party between Michael and me?" Her words caught Yamato off guard, she could tell by the way his body stiffened under her touch. Despite trying to fight the feeling, Mimi couldn't help but feel a small stab of fear shoot through her body. She waited for an answer but soon realized that he wouldn't or couldn't answer her question. Looking up, she saw him looking away from her. "Matt, please."

"I found you with no clothes on." The words came out slowly and he squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he didn't have to tell her the truth; he wanted to protect her from it. "Michael was there, he-"

"What? You told me nothing happened!" Mimi whispered, causing him to open his eyes and meet her angry gaze. How could he have kept something so big from her? Didn't he think she should have known what happened? "Why would you lie to me and keep that a secret?"

Her words hurt but at the same time he couldn't help but think about what Sora had told him earlier. He wasn't the only one keeping secrets if what she had told him was true. He knew it was bad timing, knew he should wait and straighten things out with Mimi about the whole Michael scenario first, but he asked anyways. "What about the bet you had going with Sora over me?" He wanted her to laugh, to say Sora was wrong and he was an idiot for believing her, but the look on her face changed from anger to one of surprise and guilt.

"H-How did you find out about that?" Her words stung and he almost wished that he hadn't asked and had remained in the dark about her secret.

"Heh...so it is true." His words were cold and he felt himself starting to feel detached, apathetic to the situation that was forming between them. "Sora was kind enough to fill me in on the bet that decided to make with her over making me prom king. Sorry to disappoint you."

Mimi's mind blanked out and for a minute all she could do was continue to sway to the music while she fumbled inside her head, looking for words to be able to put together. He had kept her in the dark about what had happened with Michael and in return he had found out about the bet, _the stupid bet_, that she had made with Sora weeks ago. Would he believe her if she said that she had forgotten about it? _Probably not. It doesn't change the fact that I made it in the first place._

"You lied to me about Michael."

"I was trying to protect you!"

"You shouldn't have kept silent about something that important!"

"I was trying to help you! What's your excuse, Princess?"

"It was a stupid bet, I made it before I knew you!"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? I'm not some toy for you to entertain yourself with!"

"I know that!"

The song ended and they stood there staring at each other, neither one knowing what to say next, their emotions pulling them in different directions. Turning, Yamato was the first to walk away, leaving a hurt and confused Mimi behind.

**xoxox**

The prom was winding down, only one song left for the night before it was officially over. He had gathered his band, had them start playing earlier than needed just so he could lose himself in the music. He didn't want to think, he wanted to just play what was familiar, comfort himself with something that wouldn't turn around and hurt him. One song was left, and he knew which one he was going to play. The music began and he stepped up to the microphone and closed his eyes, not wanting to see her standing in the crowd, watching him like she had been doing since they had parted.

**I think I'm drowning**

**Asphyxiated**

**I wanna break this spell**

**That you've created**

**You're something beautiful**

**A contradiction**

**I wanna play the game**

**I want the friction**

After this song he was almost free, he would almost be done with her. After the song, after the end of prom, there was only the car ride home with her, than he'd be free.

**You will be the death of me**

**You will be the death of me**

**Bury it**

**I won't let you bury it**

**I won't let you smother it**

**I won't let you murder it**

He opened his eyes and saw her standing in the back of the room, leaning against a wall and watching him. He tore his gaze away before he'd be trapped by hers. It was almost over.

**Our time is running out**

**Our time is running out**

**You can't push it underground**

**You can't stop it screaming out**

**I wanted freedom**

**Bound and restricted**

**I tried to give you up**

**But I'm addicted**

Yamato's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, recognizing a few couples, Takeru and Hikari, Kouichi and Zoe, Daisuke and Sora. His eyes narrowed as he saw Michael approach Sora and pull her away to talk to her without Daisuke hearing. He was angry at them both for what they had done, angry at Mimi for what she had done as well, but most of all he was angry at himself for getting caught up in the games they played. If he had just avoided Mimi, just kept her away from him like he always did, then there wouldn't have been any problems. There wouldn't have been any heartache.

**Now that you know I'm trapped sense of elation**

**You'd never dream of**

**Breaking this fixation**

**You will squeeze the life out of me**

**Bury it**

**I won't let you bury it**

**I won't let you smother it**

**I won't let you murder it**

Mimi was unsure of what to do. Her mind was racing over everything that had happened yet it still couldn't find an answer to this problem which was keeping her and Yamato apart. Maybe she deserved this, maybe there was no chance at happiness if they were together. _Think I killed any possible chance there was before._ She had put on a cheerful face earlier for her friends who came by to talk and even though she wanted so badly to tell someone, to ask for their guidance, she kept her mouth closed. It was her fault they were in this mess, well, mostly her fault, so she might as well try to figure out a solution on her own, right?

**Our time is running out**

**Our time is running out**

**You can't push it underground**

**You can't stop it screaming out**

**How did it come to this?**

**Ooooohh**

**You will suck the life out of me**

She could have asked for a ride home from one of her friends instead of going with Yamato, but at the same time she wanted nothing more than to just be alone with him, even if it was painful. Looking up, she saw him glance at her before quickly looking away. Mimi felt her heart begin to ache again, he couldn't even stand to look at her. _Guess I can't blame him._ She tried to put herself in his place, tried to imagine everything happening from his point of view, but the pain she felt kept her from getting a clear picture.

**Bury it**

**I won't let you bury it**

**I won't let you smother it**

**I won't let you murder it**

**Our time is running out**

**Our time is running out**

**You can't push it underground**

**You can't stop it screaming out**

**How did it come to this?**

**Ooooohh**

The song was over, the prom had officially ended and it was time now for Yamato and Mimi to be alone together for perhaps the last time, in their car ride home.

**xoxox**

The song is: Muse - Time Is Running Out

_thoughts_


End file.
